what’s for lunch?

10.10.2011

Okay, so Natalie is in kindergarten, and loving it. It’s been so fun to see her learning all sorts of awesome things, but we really do miss her here at home. The funny thing is that she asked me to pack her lunch everyday. We tried out hot lunch for the first couple weeks, but then she asked for me to send lunch with. No problem, I’m a lunch kind of person, it’s definitely my favorite meal besides breakfast. Have you guys seen all the cool bento boxes people are making for their kids? I mean really. cool. stuff.

I was nervous ordering but what I ordered didn’t cost that much, so I took the risk. It came pretty quickly and – so cute!

I also had gotten this little bento panda last year for snacks. We didn’t use it much, but now it’s what I use to put her lunch in everyday. I totally wanted to make a little lunch bag, but she was totally into picking out her own bag and chose this littlest pet shop bag. Cute and functional.

How about you? Do you pack lunches everyday? I think this is one way of making it less like a chore and more like fun! Just curious too, if you like random non-sewing kind of posts like this? I figured it was something creative so it was fun to share it here….

yes! i have started this for my son for mothers day out… if you search bento on Pinterest you will find so many cute ideas! i am like you though and i cant do all of the crazy designs but I’m using cookie cutters for pb&j and cheese

Those little boxes are so cute!! We’re not into fancy lunch packing yet, so I’ll have a few more years to practice my fruit cutting skills. And yes, I do like posts like these b/c everything you do is awesome.

Those really are cute lunches! We pack every single day (except strangely, today, when Avery requested hot lunch since it’s pizza with a back up of french toast). I’m super boring. They get a sandwich (alternating a meat and cheese or pb&j), piece of fruit or a vegetable, a dairy like gogurt or string cheese, and a treat (a cookie or chips). One fun thing I’ve added this year are Lunch Lines. It’s a booklet of one-a-day jokes with a space to write a little note. The girls like them!

I like posts like this! You have a life outside of crafting, so we should hear about it!

Love those cute bento boxes! I wish I was that kind of mother but I’m so not a morning person lol! I make sandwiches, just plain old sandwiches nothing fancy. And to ease my guilt I blow a kiss in the lunchbox before I close it. But that’s it.

And ok I’ll tell you the worst thing about it…my son’s favourite food in the whole wide world is sushi…I’m feeling the shame! I should put him up for adoption by one of those uber cool bento box mama’s

I really need some inspiration for my daughter’s lunches. She is 3 and is going to a montessori school. I tried to give her something different everyday but she has self selected down to a PB&J, fruit, yogurt, applesauce, cheese, not much else. Maybe cute shapes will help!I really need to get on Pinterest.

I make lunches but not for all my boys. 1 likes to eat at school everyday, 1 likes me to make his lunch everyday and 1 is about 50/50. They are all boys and don’t get too excited about cutesy food. I do put notes in their lunches everyday though

my husband and i trade off on who makes lunches. i have a little bento box for Em and used to use it more than i do now…have gotten lazy. would love to see your bento creations, though – it could get me started again!

Love it. Lili started K this year too, and though she loves hot lunch she only gets to buy it once a week. We have totally functional lunch gear, but I love the cute bento stuff. Maybe on special occaisions I’ll make something cute! If you’re ever near a chinatown… you’ll love to check out all the bento stuff you can find there. In the chinese grocery stores, and in the knickknack shops.

I love these lunch box examples. I send my little one to pre-school with a lunch box, and have made giraffe and dinosaur shaped cheese scones, I might try and get some of the little kitty pots – they would be a real hit

I always love to see your sewing posts, but other ones are fun, too! Have you seen the kid lunches on bleubird vintage? http://bleubirdvintage.typepad.com/blog/kiddo-lunch/There are more ideas there, too, and maybe more manageable than turning an apple into an umbrella (as adorable as that is, it’s probably not something most people can pull off every day!). Thanks for sharing the cute inspiration you found. x Katherine

oh my gosh i love it. i pack my 11 and 7 year old’s lunch every day. the 9 year old likes to eat school lunch…and i can’t wait till i get to do something cute (hahaha yeah like it will happen!) everyday for katie’s lunch!

Yup, I pack every day, too. Those teensy bento boxes kill me. You can’t even fit a grape in there! We’ve got an amazing Japanese dollar store here that has so many cute things, I love visiting (typically to buy spring frames for $2!).

My daughter got a frog bento, accessories and bento cookbook for her 9th birthday. The (bad) dog ate many of the parts on the first day, so we are careful to keep itvout of reach. She loves it and packs herself some amazing lunches. So fun. I might have to splurge and replace what the dog ate

First, I love that you are sharing a random non-sewing post. Second, aren’t the lunch ideas out there insane! They are so cute, but they look like so much work. I like the idea of using all the little containers. I don’t have to worry about packing a lunch for my oldest yet, but I’m already thinking about it

Back in the day when I only had one in school I totally sent his lunch in a bento box with everything tiny and cute. Since he’s blind it was purely for me. Well, no, actually he needed bite size and easy to grasp, but the whole cute box was totally me!

My kids are in their 30’s, and boys, so we never had ‘cute’ lunches to send with them. But boy, these are sweet! I used write on their napkins every day…..either a smiley face, or a heart, or I love you…. something to let them know I was thinking of them, not just shoving a napkin at them! Not sure they ever used them though! lol

hmmm, now I think I need some of these cute lunch things, too. btw LOVE the adorable pics of your girls in their new cardi’s… You have such a great eye for capturing their spirit. they are too cute!!! xo amy

I’ve always been intrigued by these fun, imaginative little lunches. I’d like to think I’d do this sometime if I were sending my littles to school. My mom never made our lunches (she was on a make-us-independent kick), and how i always wished she did!

I think this is super cute!! I would love having cute lunches like this everyday! And its a great way to help kids enjoy eating healthy! thanks for the fun post!! I love it. One day I will own a sewing machine and will be able to try some of your cute patterns!!

I’m cheap, we just use leftover plastic containers from various grocery items. Think=sour cream container full of grapes, etc. My mom happens to be the “Lunch Lady” and has worked over 15 years to make the hot lunch as much from scratch as she can. She goes in on Sundays to make 400 loaves of fresh bread, etc. Because we are so far north, she can get away with making Caribou Soup and Baked Salmon once and a while too because they’re free and in abundance in northern Alaska.

If my youngest wants lunch, she has to make it herself. She always just chooses a sandwich, fruit, raw veggies (which are very hard to get here, so it’s usually snap peas, carrots, bell peppers) or leftovers from the night before. Last time she took lunch it was Roasted Caribou with rosemary and feta.

I like the bento boxes, but it’s frequently 45 below zero and the kids walk home, the plastic freezes and cracks. So, leftover containers it is!

you get to post about anything you like, my dear also, bentomom blog and the like are too much to keep up with for me. i’d love to see a toned down version for a cute-ish lunch. and when you use the cookie cutters, how does all that food not go to waste? i think my kid would have the cutest lunch and my husband would end up with the ugliest one with all of the cookie cutter cast offs.

I love the lunch ideas! After watching Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution (check it out on hulu), I’ve packed Madeline’s lunches every day…well, the night before. Cute, cute and creative ideas! Oh yes, and I just love the cardigans you made the girls. How fun! And the girls are darling, as always. Great photos Anna. Is there anything you’re not amazing at?!